


Useless

by woodfae



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: (I just don't want to spoil anything big now), (also I'll probably add a couple more tags as the fic continues), Angst, I may have decided to write angst my bad, Identity Reveal, eventually but not in the way you probably think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-07-21 21:23:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7405372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woodfae/pseuds/woodfae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chat Noir and Ladybug had a pattern when fighting akumas. It wasn't always easy, but they worked together every time.</p><p>What happens when Chat wonders if Ladybug really needs him at all?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chat couldn’t say that he’d never been late to an akuma fight; sometimes obligations of his civilian life held him up. Even so, he usually arrived at the scene before Ladybug defeated the akuma. They would work together and beat the villain, exchange a fist bump and a habitual “bien joué,” Chat would say something smooth (Ladybug may not think so but Chat knew he had skills), and all would be well.

Things… didn’t exactly go according to that plan this time.

Yes, Chat arrived before Ladybug defeated the akuma. The site of the fight was a popular one: the Eiffel Tower. The akumatized villain, apparently named l’Écologiste, stood at the top spouting something about the environment, the mass of vines they controlled winding down the structure. Chat appeared on a building nearby, out of the sight of their opponent, and met eyes with Ladybug as she swung her yo-yo with one hand and held a spotted spray bottle in the other, the corners of her lips turning up in a slight smirk. An unspoken message passed between them as she shifted her eyes from his ring to the akuma and back again: _Use Cataclysm on the vines below the akuma._

Chat nodded and moved lithely, thanking whatever higher beings existed that his bad luck didn’t decide to make its existence known at that moment. He called his power forward, lunged toward the designated section of vine and metal, and landed safely with an almost practiced ease. Really, destroying a portion of the Eiffel Tower was another regular part of the drill.

The vines rotted and the metal rusted away, causing the akuma to lose balance. As they fell, Ladybug leapt towards them and sprayed a clump of vines surrounding what presumably was the arm of the akuma. The villain shrieked as the plants shrivelled, revealing what appeared to be a clipboard. Ladybug snatched the clipboard and snapped it over her knee, setting the violet butterfly free. As she caught and purified the butterfly, Chat grinned and watched with his usual awe, his heart pounding. Whether it was from the adrenaline or watching the love of his life, he couldn’t tell.

 _She’s incredible,_ he thought. _She fought this akuma on her own, and I… I didn’t do a thing._

At this realization, Chat’s grin slipped off of his face. When Ladybug dropped down next to him, fist up and a cheerful _“Bien joué!”_ rolling from her smiling lips, he did not raise his fist as he normally would. Instead, he continued staring ahead, a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth.

Ladybug paused and tilted her head, brows furrowed. “Chat?” she asked. Chat winced at the concern tinging her voice. He wasn’t supposed to worry his Lady. He was supposed to stay confident so that she could rely on him for strength when she needed it, just as she had in their first battle against Papillon.

 _But does she need me anymore?_ The thought wormed its way into his mind before he could stop it. _She’s been confident about her ability since then. Do I do anything worth noting, or am I just holding her back?_

“Chat?” Ladybug repeated. “Chat, what’s wrong?”

Chat was fully ready to lie that nothing was wrong with a pun and a grin, but instead, his true feelings slipped out. “Do you… Do you really need me, my Lady?”

Ladybug’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly. “What? Of course I do! We’re a team, Chat. Not only do I need you, I wouldn’t be able to do anything without you.”

“But… what about all the times the akuma controlled me and you still beat them without a problem? What about Dislocœur? Marionnettiste? Even with Dessinateur, when I was the only one of us able to help, Marinette almost managed to get the akuma’s item by herself… She got us out of the box he set over us when I just tried hitting it with my staff. If a civilian could do that when I, a _superhero_ , couldn’t think of a way out, what does that mean for me? If civilians can do things I can’t, doesn’t that mean I’m not necessary?”

An indecipherable expression passed over Ladybug’s features before a comforting smile quickly replaced it. “That’s just my good luck. As for Marinette, I’m sure she was just lucky then, too. I’d rather have you than any civilian, and I’d rather rely on you than any luck, kitty.”

The words that were supposed to help served as another unpleasant reminder to Chat. “Right… You’re all the good luck. I’m all the bad…” he said quietly, avoiding eye contact with his partner.

“What? Chat, no, I--” Ladybug began, but Chat cut her off.

“I’ll… see you around, Ladybug.”

He didn’t let her say anything more, instead turning around and vaulting away on his staff. Thoughts of his uselessness swirled through his mind, drowning out his other senses. He didn’t take notice of the beautiful scenery of Paris. He didn’t hear Ladybug calling after him. He didn’t reflect on how the grey skies mirrored his mood. He relied only on muscle memory to take himself to the cold, lonely place that was his home only in name.

Chat landed in his room with practiced ease and detransformed in the same motion, becoming Adrien again. He sat on his bed, facing the windows he’d just entered through--he couldn’t bring himself to look at the large, bright Ladybug monitors--and stared emptily at the ground.

 _Adrien, Chat. I always separate my identities, but are they really all that different?_ Adrien thought, the claws of bitterness closing around his throat. _We’re both completely useless. Chat can’t do anything right, and Ladybug doesn’t need him. Adrien can’t even stand up to Chloe. What good am I?_

“Adrien?” a familiar voice asks. Plagg. Adrien raised his eyes to meet his kwami’s. The normally mischievous eyes full of concern. “Ladybug was right, you know… You two are a team. Ladybug and Chat Noir always have been. She’ll always need you, and you’ll always need her. That’s the way it is.”

Adrien’s throat tightened again, and he lowered his gaze, staring at his hands. “I can’t do anything as Chat without Ladybug, but she can do everything without me. She can purify the akumas, I can’t. She can beat an akuma on her own, I can’t… She doesn’t need me.”

“But what about that time when you two first met Papillon? You gave her the encouragement she needed to have confidence in herself as a superhero. You did great there, kid. She needed you there.”

“She _needed_ me. Past tense. Now she has that confidence on her own, and I don’t have anything else I can give her.” Adrien paused, clenching his right hand and focusing on his ring. “Maybe… Maybe it’s better if there isn’t a Chat Noir this time…”

“Adrien--”

“I’m sorry, Plagg.”

“Adrien, _n--”_

Before Plagg could finish his sentence, Adrien pulled off his Miraculous. Plagg disappeared, leaving Adrien alone, staring at the ring that no longer sat on his finger, but instead rested cupped in his hands. As before, when he travelled as Chat, he ignored his surroundings. The small black butterfly that flew into the room through the open window remained unnoticed until it landed and immediately melded with the silver ring that Adrien cradled. Before he had any time to react, a sinister voice filled his mind.

“I am Papillon, and from now on, you will be known as Chat Blanc.”

 _No,_ Adrien thought frantically. He tried to stand up, to set his ring down, anything that would allow him to escape from what he knew would come next. He couldn’t move. _No!_

“You feel useless now, but you will have the greatest use of all. You simply need to fetch me Ladybug’s Miraculous. What do you say?”

The part of Adrien that knew he should fight back continued to protest, but the angrier, more bitter side of him pushed it back. A cheshire grin, much more malevolent than his typical grin as Chat Noir, stretched over his features as he answered. “It would be my _pleasure.”_ A violet fog enveloped him as he slid the ring, now a deep violet instead of its normal silver color, back onto his finger.

Somewhere in Paris, Papillon laughed, half of his goal already achieved.

* * *

A shock spread through Wayzz’s tiny body, alerting him that something had gone wrong. He flew out of his matchbox bed and called out, urgency lacing his voice, “Master! Master!”

Master Fu appeared in the doorway in the blink of an eye, a surprising speed for someone of his age. A frown pulled at his lips as he stared at the turtle kwami. “What is it? You haven’t sounded this worried since you told me that Nooroo was being used for evil.”

Wayzz stared back, eyes wide. “I’m afraid that’s because something else, equally bad, has happened. Plagg’s energy has been blocked by something, and it feels like the same kind of energy I felt when Nooroo reappeared--I think Plagg’s charge has been akumatized!”

“It can’t be,” Master Fu said, his expression shifting from one of concern to panic to concern again. He sank into the nearest chair, leaning forward and resting his head on his now-clasped hands. “Plagg’s energy should have protected him--the only way he could have been akumatized is if he’d taken off the Miraculous. But why would he do that...?” he asked aloud, then shook his head. “It doesn’t matter why he did it--we have to focus on changing him back. Can Ladybug do that on her own?”

“She’ll have to,” Wayzz said. “If we try and find someone worthy of one of the other available Miraculous stones, a number of bad things could also happen. They could be afraid of fighting Plagg’s charge because he was powerful before with good intent, but now, when he’s completely malicious, they might think there’s no way they could beat him. That fear could paralyze them. Ladybug is the only one confident enough in her abilities to be able to help him. The only thing we can do is wait.”

Master Fu nodded and continue to stare at the space in front of him. “Let us hope the outcome is the one we wish for…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is my first time writing an actual fic ahah, but I hope you like it!! thank you for reading :)


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Adrien walked into class, on time for the first time in a while. He smiled as he sat next to Nino and made conversation about music and homework. Nino talked about his new mix, promising that it’d be the best one yet. He also asked to compare Adrien’s physics homework with his own. Adrien obliged him, joking that Nino couldn’t copy off of his homework every day and laughing when Nino indignantly protested. To everyone around him, Adrien was the same. 

However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Plagg no longer physically manifested, as he’d been contained in the ring by the power of the akuma that resided there as well. Adrien’s mind was no longer just his own--he now shared it with Papillon

He’d spent the majority of the previous night conversing with Papillon, discovering the powers that he received in return for his promise.

 _“You will still be able to transform between your civilian form and your akumatized form,”_ Papillon had explained. _“But your ring will remain the same color: violet. Ideally, this will be the only reason anyone would have to suspect that you have any relation to Chat Blanc, so you must make sure no one suspects you in the first place. Act like the same person you once were.”_

 _“Understood, Papillon,”_ Adrien replied, nodding even though the supervillain couldn’t see him.

He could still transform between his civilian form and his akuma form--he could no longer call it his superhero form--and he had the same powers as Chat Noir. However, his ring wouldn’t change from silver to black like it used to; it would remain the same violet no matter his form. In addition, instead of an all-black suit, his akuma form donned an all-white one. His mask, normally covering his eyes with a green film, now covered his eyes with violet. His civilian form remained unchanged.

 _The perfect way to stay undetected by Ladybug,_ he had thought to himself the previous night. He thought this again as he surveyed the classroom, a small smirk tugging at the a corner of his lips. As long as he could act natural--and modelling for his father had given him enough practice in _that_ \--no one would suspect a thing.

Classes passed as usual, and once lunch rolled around, Alya immediately launched into another spiel about Ladybug: “Did you see Ladybug yesterday? She took the akuma out almost entirely by herself! She’s incredible, the best superhero Paris could ask for!”

Annoyance twinged in Adrien’s chest as Alya continued. Whether the mention of Ladybug or the lack of mentioning Chat Noir caused it he couldn’t tell, but his emotions must’ve shown on his face because Nino took notice.

“Hey, Adrien, you okay? I thought you loved talking about Ladybug.”

“Oh, I do,” Adrien lied. “I was just thinking about Chat Noir. He didn’t really do anything at all, did he? Honestly, what good is he as a superhero if Ladybug is the one who does all the work? Do we really need him?”

His friends stared at him, mouths agape.

“Dang, Adrien. I knew you weren’t Chat Noir’s biggest fan, but I didn’t think it was that bad,” Alya said, narrowing her eyes slightly as if trying to puzzle something out.

Adrien shrugged. “I just think he’s kind of useless. If Ladybug doesn’t need his help, why does he keep hanging around? And why does she put up with him? He barely does anything.”

“That’s not--that’s not true!” Adrien’s eyes flicked to Marinette, who narrowed her eyes at him. “Chat Noir and Ladybug are a team. She’s said so more than once, and it’s clear that she means it! They’ve been a team since the beginning, and that’s not going to change. Ladybug wouldn’t be the same without him.” A slight flush rose in Marinette’s cheeks as she spoke, and the look in her eyes grew in intensity. “Anyone who says differently is completely blind, _and_ they’re ignoring everything Ladybug has said about the two of them being a team.”

 _Interesting,_ Adrien thought. _Why is she so adamant about defending Chat Noir? Everyone else loves Ladybug but doesn’t care about him… The only people who would defend him are girls who have crushes on him. Does she…?_ He studied Marinette, who now seemed to be turning red from embarrassment at snapping at him. _When I talked to her as Chat Noir in the Dessinateur incident, she acted like a fan at first, but it didn’t seem sincere… I don’t think that’s why she’s defending him now._ He made a mental note to pay more attention to Marinette. There had to be a reason for her defending Chat Noir that wasn’t just simple infatuation.

“Maybe you’re right,” he said, giving Marinette an easy smile. “Sorry.”

“Uh--it’s--it’s okay! I’m sorry I against you argued. I mean, that I argued against you!” Marinette stammered out, flushing again. Adrien kept his smile and returned to his food, which, thankfully, lacked camembert.

 _Thank God that annoying kwami is out of the way,_ he thought. _Now I don’t have to carry that awful cheese and pretend I like it. It was a small pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless._

Lunch passed without further incident, as did classes. Once Adrien entered the limo to head home, the smile he’d given Nino immediately dropped, replaced by a frown.

 _How did I stand them this whole time?_ Adrien wondered. _How will I be able to stand them now? They all fawn over Ladybug like idiots._

 _“Patience, Chat Blanc,”_ Papillon whispered. _“You will get your chance to show them who has the real power in this city.”_

* * *

“Breaking News: last night, several sets of priceless jewels were stolen from stores all over Paris,” a reporter announced as Marinette rushed through her breakfast. “There was no sign of unusual property damage, so the police doubt this was the work of an akuma. In addition, police found no trace of the perpetrator on security tapes. Could a skilled cat burglar be on the rise?”

“It’s somewhat odd to have reports of non-akuma crimes, isn’t it?” Sabine remarked. “Recently, it’s seemed like the police needed Chat Noir and Ladybug to stop every criminal.” 

_It’s a nice break for me, though,_ Marinette thought, instead making a noncommittal noise and nodding. To avoid the possibility of talking about Ladybug any longer (and partially because she was in danger of being late to class), she wolfed down the rest of her food, kissed her mother on the cheek, and headed out the door.

“I wonder how someone stole from _all_ those jewelry stores without getting caught,” Tikki said as Marinette walked, peeking out from her purse. “Don’t people usually just rob one place at a time?”

“I don’t know,” Marinette murmured. “It _is_ a little weird… Hopefully it’s nothing big.” She reached the school moments later, and Tikki hid again without replying.

However, when Marinette entered the classroom, she felt something different. Looking around, she searched for the source of the feeling before her eyes finally met with Adrien’s. Her stomach turned to butterflies as he smiled and gave her a small wave. She only just managed to return both actions before her brain failed her and she stumbled to her seat. Only when she sat down and put her head in her hands did she fully process what had caused that odd feeling:

Adrien Agreste had been staring at her. Not the kind of you-just-walked-into-the-room-and-I-noticed type of staring, but the I-was-actively-looking-for-you type of staring.

 _I could tell the difference,_ Marinette thought. _But what does it mean?_

* * *

Adrien had done a lot of thinking the night before. He just couldn’t stop wondering about why Marinette had been so adamant about defending Chat Noir. He mulled it over, trying to decipher her reasoning. He’d already ruled out infatuation, and nothing else came to mind. The only other person who so readily defended Chat Noir was Ladybug, and it was impossible that Marinette and Ladybug were the same person.

For starters, Marinette was entirely too clumsy. Ladybug moved with grace--as much as Adrien hated to admit it--and from watching Marinette trip over herself time and time again, he could conclude she had none of that grace.

Marinette was also extremely timid and lacked the same air of authority and leadership Ladybug had. She could barely talk to Adrien at all, though he’d noticed that she didn’t act the same way around all of their other classmates…

Wait.

Marinette _did_ have leadership qualities similar to Ladybug’s. Without them, she never would have won the position of student president. Without the same confidence, she never would be able to stand up to Chloé. And, as Adrien noted before, she was only timid around him.

The more Adrien pondered, the more he realized that Marinette and Ladybug were more alike than he’d previously thought. The main difference was Marinette’s clumsiness versus Ladybug’s grace, and that could easily be remedied with the good luck that came with Ladybug’s powers. The two had the same hair and eye colors. They even had the same _hairstyle._

 _All that’s left is the earrings,_ he’d thought.

Sure enough, as soon as Marinette arrived, he spotted two small, black, circular stud earrings. As she looked back at him he waved a hand, a small smile masking his internal cheshire grin.

_I’ve found you, my Lady._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY FIRST OFF I am so, so sorry that I didn't update this for like........ 4 months......... y'all might not believe me but I was extremely busy with both mental health issues, an extreme case of writer's block, and school, so I just... couldn't write at all. I am so, _so_ sorry.
> 
> I promise though, I am definitely planning on continuing this fic! I have an entire outline written out and I'm not going to abandon it. After all, I have a very specific plot in mind, and if I don't write it, who will? I promise this fic is here to stay and I will also try and updated it much more regularly (as in, hopefully every few weeks or so. We'll see if I can actually keep up with that while still dealing with school, but I refuse to let you all wait another 4 months just for one meager 1000-word update).
> 
> Speaking of word length, I'm also terribly sorry about how this update isn't very long. It's hard for me to write out a very long chapter but hopefully future chapters will be longer! I just wanted to get _something_ out because I didn't realize how long I'd left this fic un-updated and honestly I am ashamed.
> 
> One last thing! at the current time of me posting this second chapter (October 17th), I haven't edited it. Like I said, I just wanted to get another chapter out here. If there are any mistakes, they'll be caught and updated by tomorrow though!
> 
> Once again, I'm so sorry for the extremely long time lapse, but I promise it won't happen again.
> 
> [UPDATE ON OCTOBER 21ST] The chapter has been edited! Hopefully any mistakes have been fixed and everything reads a little better!


	3. Chapter 3

At first, Adrien wasn’t sure what to do with this new information. A thousand plans ran through his head, mostly involving confronting Marinette immediately and taking her earrings by force. After some thought, he crossed each of those ideas off of the list. _I’ve got to trick her into trusting me first,_ he reasoned. _That way, beating her will be way more satisfying. She’ll be completely broken._ A smile played on his lips as the thought ran through his mind. _It’ll take time, but it’ll be worth it._

For the next few days, he studied Marinette whenever he could. Whenever she noticed him staring at her--which was pretty often; she seemed to be almost hyper-aware of him--she blushed bright red and dropped her pen, jumbled up her papers, and even fell flat on her face at one point. Whenever he tried to talk to her, she stammered so badly that he could barely understand a word she said. This baffled Adrien. How could he get closer to her when she could barely talk to him? Why did she act so differently around him than everyone else?

“Dude. Adrien. _Hey.”_ The voice snapped Adrien out of his thoughts. He turned and looked at Nino, who wore a small knowing grin on his face. “Earth to Adrien, school just ended. You’ve been staring a ton at Marinette lately _and_ you were just staring off into space for like, the fifth time today. Is something up?” Nino asked, sounding like he’d already decided he knew the reason.

“What? Oh, I just think she’s interesting,” Adrien half-lied, placing his notebook back into his bag. “I’m trying to figure her out.” He picked up his bag and walked out of the classroom, Nino following.

“Well, if you haven’t figured her out already, it probably won’t take you much longer to. She isn’t exactly complicated when it comes to you,” Nino laughed, confusing Adrien further.

“What do you mean?”

“Dude, do you seriously not know? I thought you’d figured it out by now with all that staring.”

Adrien cocked his head to the side. “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.” His confusion only grew as his friend raised an eyebrow at him. “I don’t!”

Nino just shook his head, a small, disbelieving smile on his face. “I’d tell you, but I promised I wouldn’t. Sometimes promises overrule bros.”

Unfortunately, this only served to further confuse Adrien. “You promised? You promised who?”

Nino winked. “Like I said, you’ll find out soon enough. Why don’t you talk to her?” he asked, gesturing to Alya and Marinette, who both stood at the bottom of the front steps of the school.

Adrien opened his mouth to reply but hesitated. _Talking to her now might actually be a good way to figure her out._ “You’re right, I should talk to her,” he said after a few seconds.

He made his way over to where Alya and Marinette stood. Alya tried to discreetly elbow Marinette when she noticed, but the attempt at discretion failed when Marinette squeaked. Adrien gave them both a small smile, pretending that he hadn’t noticed. “Hi Marinette. Hi Alya,” he said.

“Um, h-hi!” Marinette stuttered, her face flushing. Again, Alya elbowed her and again, Adrien proceeded to ignore it.

“So Nino and I,” Adrien began, gesturing to his friend, who stood behind him, “were planning on going to a movie tomorrow night, and we were wondering if you two wanted to come along?” This, of course, was a lie, but Adrien figured Nino wouldn’t object. Nino’s silence proved him right.

Marinette stared at him, wide-eyed and stammering while Alya quickly cut in. “We’d love to! What time?” Her phone appeared in her hand as quickly as if by magic, ready to tap out the details in her calendar.

“How about after school?” Adrien suggested with an easy smile. “I don’t have anything scheduled then, plus it’s a Friday so we don’t have to worry about homework.”

“Perfect!” Alya said without so much as a glance at Marinette. Once she’d inputted the information into her phone, she looked up at the two boys and grinned. “It’s a date.”

_Odd word choice,_ Adrien thought as he watched Marinette’s blush spread to her entire face and neck. “See you there, then,” he said instead. He waved as Marinette and Alya walked off, heads bent close together, whispering. He vaguely wondered what they were saying before turning to Nino. “How’d that go for talking to her?”

Nino stared at him, mouth slightly open. “I didn’t mean that you had to ask her on what’s basically a _date._ She looked like she was going to combust!”

Adrien frowned. “It’s not really a date… I mean, it could be for you and Alya, since you two are actually dating, but why would it be a date for Marinette and me?”

_“Dude.”_ Adrien didn’t have to look at Nino to know he was staring at Adrien even more incredulously than before. “You seriously _can’t_ be this oblivious.”

Adrien stared back now. “What? What do you mean?”

“I told you, I promised I wouldn’t tell you.”

“You also told me I’d figure it out soon,” Adrien sighed. “Whatever it is, I must be _really_ blind to it.”

“Trust me, you are.” Nino flashed a grin. “In any case, I’ll see you tomorrow. Homework calls, unfortunately.” He clapped Adrien on the shoulder and walked off, placing his headphones over his ears. 

Eyebrows furrowed, Adrien watched him for a moment before walking to the limo that was waiting for him. He had a photoshoot that afternoon, but he’d spend the whole time thinking about Nino’s words and Marinette’s behavior.

* * *

Marinette was screaming.

Not out loud, of course. Internally, however, alarm bells shrieked in time with her own voice. Adrien Agreste had just asked her to a _movie._

Granted, he didn’t invite only her--and thank God for that, she didn’t think she could function if it was just the two of them. Alya, at least, would keep nudging her to talk to him--but they were going to a movie together all the same. It was _practically_ a date.

“Earth to Marinette!” Alya waved a hand in front of her face and peered at her. The two of them sat in Marinette’s room. Their schoolbags lied open on the floor, but neither of them had gotten any homework done yet. “You’ve got that distant look you get when you think about Adrien.”

“Sorry!” Marinette said. “I just--I just can’t believe that he _asked_ us to a _movie.”_

“Believe it!” Alya grinned. “You’ve finally gotten your chance to actually go somewhere your crush. He’s probably finally noticed how great you are.”

Marinette sighed. “I don’t know if that’s it… I can hope, but he probably just wants to become better friends, which is good too…”

Alya patted Marinette on the back, still grinning. “C’mon, let’s get our homework done. _Then_ we can think about what we’re going to do tomorrow.” Instead of waiting for a reply, she grabbed her history textbook. Marinette followed suit, trying her best to focus.

Several hours later, Alya tossed her folders back into her bag and closed it. “Finally!” she exclaimed, sitting back in her chair. “That took _way_ longer than it should’ve. Why do they give us so much work?”

Marinette closed her textbook. “I don’t know, but I’m glad we finished everything before it got too late. We still need to think about the movie! What’ll I _wear?”_ She looked at Alya, eyes suddenly as wide as dinner plates. “I can’t just wear a normal outfit! This is a special occasion. Oh, but I can’t be _too_ dressed up because it’s just the movies, and Adrien might be weirded out and never want to talk to me again!” She slumped forward and buried her face in her hands.

Alya leaned forward and set a comforting hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “Relax,” she said. “You’ve got me, and I’m gonna make sure that you look so casually good that Adrien will fall for you on the spot!”

Marinette peeked up at Alya from behind her hands, and her friend grinned back. She sighed. “Alright… Let’s pick an outfit, then.”

Alya patted Marinette on the back and stood up. “That’s my girl! Let’s do this.”

It took another hour and a half before the girls had decided on an outfit, and by that time they were thoroughly exhausted. Alya went home with some freshly baked goods--courtesy of Marinette’s parents--and Marinette returned to her room. She flopped onto her bed as Tikki flew out of a drawer.

“Tikki, I’m going to the movies with _Adrien_ tomorrow!”

Tikki giggled. “So I heard! I’m happy for you!”

Marinette sat up and gave Tikki a giddy grin. “I’m so excited I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep!”

“Even so, sleeping is probably a good idea considering you have school tomorrow.”

The thought of school dampened Marinette’s mood slightly, but even so, she lied back with a smile on her face. “Goodnight Tikki,” she said before closing her eyes and falling into a calm sleep.

* * *

Adrien woke the next morning with a startling realization.

_It’s because Marinette has a crush on me._ Ladybug _has a crush on me._ As soon as these thoughts set in, a smile spread across Adrien’s face. _Ladybug won’t be able to escape me now._

When Adrien arrived at school, he let the Gorilla know that he wouldn’t need to pick Adrien up after school (assuring him that Nathalie knew and had agreed to this earlier) and stepped out of the limo. He saw Marinette, Alya, and Nino standing together and his smile grew bigger. He waved at the trio and walked towards them.

As Adrien approached the group, he realized that Marinette wasn’t wearing her usual outfit. Instead, she wore a loose maroon-colored top with black skinny jeans and a pair of low-heeled black ankle boots. Her hair was also pulled up in a bun instead of her usual pigtails.

_She dressed up a bit,_ Adrien thought. “Hey, Marinette, you look really good!”

Marinette squeaked as Alya elbowed her. “Y-you thank! I mean th-thank you!” she managed, a flush rising to her face. She briefly met Adrien’s eyes but immediately cast her eyes downward.

_As annoying Ladybug may be, she does look cute,_ Adrien mused. _It’s such a shame. I could’ve had an actual nice time with her had she not been that insect._

“Hey Adrien,” Nino said, bringing Adrien’s attention to him. “We were just talking about the plan for tonight. Do you wanna grab something to eat beforehand?”

“Definitely,” Adrien said. “We wouldn’t want to get hungry during the movie.”

“Then it’s settled!” Alya exclaimed with a grin. “It’s a dinner-and-movie date. Or I guess just meal-and-movie date since it’ll be a bit early for an _actual_ dinner.”

Marinette made a small distressed noise. Adrien only smiled. “I suppose so.”

Alya’s grin gained a triumphant edge. She opened her mouth to say something else, but as she did, the bell rang. “Guess we better go to class,” she said instead, grabbing Marinette by the arm and pulling her away. The boys headed to class as well, lagging slightly behind.

Nino nudged Adrien’s arm as they walked. “Dude, what was that?” he asked quietly.

“What was what?” Adrien asked.

“‘I suppose so,’” Nino repeated. “Alya called it a date and you barely reacted! You said it ‘wasn’t really a date’ yesterday. Did you figure out the _thing?”_

Adrien gave Nino a small smile. “If the _‘thing’_ is Marinette having a crush on me, then yeah. I figured it out this morning.”

Nino pumped his fist in the air. “Yes! Thank God I don’t have to keep quiet about that anymore. Are you interested in her?”

Adrien glanced at Marinette and gave Nino a small smile. “Yes, I suppose I am.”

Nino’s jaw dropped. “Dude. _Dude.”_ He closed his mouth and immediately opened it again. “Are you going to tell her today? At the movies? What’re you going to do?”

Adrien huffed a laugh. “I’m not sure. I might wait a little bit, though. I’m a little… nervous.”

Nino’s shocked expression quickly changed to a grin. “You? Adrien Agreste? The _model?_ Someone who’s surrounded by beautiful girls _so_ often? Nervous about having a crush on one?”

_To be fair, I never said I had a crush on her, just that I was interested in her,_ Adrien thought. “Modeling around girls who are also just doing their jobs is very different from wanting to date one,” he said instead.

“Sure,” Nino said, the teasing note still in his voice. Adrien just shook his head and entered the classroom. Classes passed without incident, and once they were dismissed from their final class, the four of them left the building together. During their lunch period, they’d decided where to eat--Marinette had shyly suggested a small and inexpensive café nearby, and the other three had readily agreed.

Alya and Nino walked together, so Adrien dropped behind them to talk to Marinette. “You know, I’m glad we’re here together,” he said with an easy smile. “It’d be really awkward to be a third wheel if we weren’t.”

Marinette returned Adrien’s smile with a small one of her own. “Y-yeah,” she managed.

“Even so, they’re really cute together, don’t you think?” Adrien asked. _Don’t make me carry the entire conversation._

Fortunately, Marinette immediately regained her ability to talk. “Yeah! Alya’s really happy, and I’m happy for her. I can tell she and Nino really care about each other. I think it’d be really nice…” She trailed off and mumbled something that Adrien couldn’t catch.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite hear what you said.”

“Oh! Um, I just… Said that I think it’d be really nice to eventually be in a relationship like theirs?” As Marinette’s voice rose in pitch, a blush rose to her face. Adrien simply smiled again.

“Yeah, I think so too,” he said, deliberately making eye contact with Marinette. Her blush grew brighter and she looked away abruptly without reply. _Act like honey and you’ll catch the fly,_ he thought smugly.

The group arrived at the café a few minutes later. It was garden-themed, with potted plants lining the outer eating area. The interior was painted a pale green and the tops of the tables were designed as brightly colored flowers. More potted plants sat near the windows. The decor created a friendly and serene atmosphere, which was a welcome change from the often hectic life that came with living in a city where the sudden appearance of supervillains was practically a weekly occurrence. 

“This place is amazing!” Alya exclaimed as she looked around. “How did you find it?”

“Sometimes I walk around the city looking for inspiration… I saw this place one day and just had to go in. Turns out their food is as amazing as their atmosphere!” Marinette explained, smiling proudly.

“Speaking of food, we should really order some,” Nino said. 

The four of them quickly ordered and found a table designed to look like two large, red roses. Alya and Nino sat on one side, leaving Adrien and Marinette to sit on the other.

_Subtle,_ Adrien thought, noticing the couple glancing between each other and Marinette after they’d all sat down. 

They didn’t have to wait long before their food arrived, soups steaming and sandwiches freshly pressed. As they ate, they discussed classes and classmates, laughing and joking around. Adrien made sure to brush up against Marinette every so often. The first few times she immediately stiffened, but after a while she relaxed. _Good,_ Adrien thought.

_The more you trust me, the better it’ll be when I ruin you._

Soon they finished their food and requested bills, but when Marinette reached into her purse to retrieve her money, Adrien put his arm on her shoulder. “Let me take care of it,” he said with a smile. “Consider it a thank-you for bringing us to this great place.” He pulled some euros out of his pocket and called the waiter over again before she could protest.

“Thank you…” Marinette mumbled. Out of the corner of his eye, Adrien saw Alya elbow Nino and grin.

Adrien waved a hand dismissively, a small smile playing on his lips. “Don’t worry about it, Marinette. ” He stood up as the waiter took the money and the other three followed suit. They exited the café and began walking to the cinema. Adrien made sure to stay close to Marinette.

Soon, they arrived and spent a few minutes choosing the movie, eventually deciding on an action film. “Even if it’s not good, we can still laugh at how ridiculous everything is,” Alya reasoned. 

They found their seats, Alya and Nino sitting a couple of rows behind Marinette and Adrien. _This is almost too easy,_ Adrien thought. 

Halfway through the movie Adrien put his arm around Marinette, and again he felt her stiffen under his touch. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled to himself when he noticed that her face practically glowed red. They stayed like that for the rest of the movie, Marinette slowly relaxing. When the credits started, Adrien removed his arm from around her shoulders and stretched. “That movie wasn’t too bad,” he said conversationally.

“Y-yeah, I liked it,” Marinette stammered softly, eyes downcast. Adrien doubted that she had paid much attention to the second half of the film, but that wasn’t something that worried him.

The two of them left the theatre and met Alya and Nino outside. It was already dark, city lights illuminating their surroundings. “So what’d you think?” Alya asked, glancing between Adrien and Marinette with an obviously delighted gleam in her eye.

Adrien shrugged. “We thought it was pretty good, what about the two of you?”

Alya grinned. “We thought it went great.”

The four of them stood and chatted for the next few minutes as Adrien texted his driver that the movie was over. When his ride arrived, he waved to the group. “This was really fun,” he said, eyes locking with Marinette’s . “We should do it again sometime.” Without waiting for a reply, he stepped inside the limo and drove away.

* * *

The remaining three stared at the limo as it disappeared. Marinette’s mouth hung wide open, her face a hue that would have caused concern under any other circumstances. Alya and Nino looked at each other, grinning widely, and subtly fist bumped. Marinette turned to the two of them and wordlessly stuttered before Alya clapped her on the back.

“Did you _see_ that? He’s definitely into you!” she exclaimed. “This went even better than I thought!”

Marinette continued to stutter. “But--he--I--that--what?”

Nino laughed. “I guess he finally came to his senses. I thought I was gonna turn eighty before he realized.”

Marinette, still in shock, didn’t reply. The three of them parted ways and Marinette walked home in a slight stupor, greeting her mother absentmindedly when she walked through the bakery door. She headed up to her room and flopped onto her bed as Tikki flew out of her purse.

“Tikki, he _put his arm around me!”_ Marinette said in disbelief. “He kept touching me and staying close to me and everything! Am I dreaming?”

Tikki giggled. “Nope! Everything that happened was entirely real. Don’t get too caught up in daydreaming about it, though, because you still need to go on patrol tonight!”

Marinette groaned. “That’s right, I completely forgot… I wonder if I’ll see Chat tonight. I haven’t heard from him all week, and he’s usually pretty reliable.”

If Marinette had been paying attention, she would’ve noticed the brief look of concern that crossed Tikki’s face that was almost as quickly covered up by a more neutral expression. “He might just have something going on in his civilian life right now. Even superheros sometimes have civilian responsibilities that keep them busy.”

Marinette huffed a laugh. “Don’t I know it.” She stood up from her bed and smiled at the kwami. “Well, Tikki? Transform me!”

Moments later, Ladybug stepped out onto the rooftop balcony of a local Paris bakery and swung into the night. Though her first duty was to look out for akumas or even other, normal criminals, she always kept an eye out for her partner.

_Where could he have gone?_ she wondered. _Wouldn’t he have told me if he had something else going on? Our weapons can act like phones…_ She contemplating messaging Chat herself but decided against it. _It’s probably nothing._

Her patrol passed without incident (and without any sighting of Chat), and she soon returned to her rooftop balcony, detransforming when she slipped through the door. She changed out her the clothes she’d worn to the movies and into more comfortable pajamas. As soon as her head hit her pillow with a soft _thump,_ the rest of the world faded away as she sank into the calm black of a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Marinette awoke to the smell of fresh bread wafting through her home, as usual. She groggily checked her phone to see several texts from Alya, which she answered excitedly. _I still can’t believe I didn’t dream last night up,_ she thought, smiling to herself. After a few more minutes lying in bed, Marinette made her way downstairs where her parents bustled about, getting ready for the day. As she ate breakfast, she listened to the news.

“Another set of jewel robberies occurred last night during early hours,” the reporter stated. “Again, there were no witnesses and the police did not find anything on security tapes. Though the unknown thief appears to only be targeting jewellry stores, we can only wonder if they’ll move onto something bigger. Remember, if you see anything unusual, call the police immediately.”

Marinette frowned. _I didn’t notice anything odd last night on patrol,_ she thought. _Maybe I should stay later and keep an eye out the next few nights. Even if they aren’t an akuma, it’s still troublesome._

“I wonder what caused these robberies to start up,” Sabine mused, glancing at the television. “Certainly the burglar can’t sell the jewels now that everyone’s on the watch for anything suspicious.”

“Maybe they’re doing it to get the attention of someone,” Tom suggested. “They might be trying to challenge the police, or even Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

“But if they’re not akumatized, why would they want to challenge superheroes?” Sabine asked. “If they normally handle akumas, wouldn’t a regular criminal be relatively easy to stop?”

Tom shrugged. “They might think they’re harder to catch than an akuma since they’re not obvious with their actions. There’s no way to know for sure, though...”

Tom and Sabine quickly moved onto talking about the business plan for the day, their voices fading away as Marinette mulled over what they’d said. _I wonder if they really are trying to send a message to Chat and me… I’m definitely going to stay on the watch._ As she finished her breakfast, her mother turned to her.

“Oh, Marinette? Do you mind helping your father and me with the bakery today? We have a lot of orders to make and it’d be lovely if you could stay at the counter for us.”

“Of course, Maman! I don’t mind at all.”

Sabine smiled. “Thank you. You’re such a big help.”

Marinette smiled back and returned to her room to get dressed. Her parents were already working when she arrived and took her place at the counter.

The morning went smoothly, customers drifting in and out of the bakery to buy their favorite goods. Whenever there was a lull, Marinette sketched whatever designs came to mind. She knew that most of them were unrealistic, but they helped pass the time as the day went by. Business picked up a bit more in the afternoon as more customers came by to pick up their orders. 

Marinette had fallen into a rhythm throughout the day, so when she heard the front door open, she’d already started her usual greeting without even looking at the customer. “Welcome to the Tom and Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie! How may I help you?”

“Hi, Marinette,” a very familiar voice said. Marinette immediately froze and looked at the source of the voice. Adrien was standing in her parents’ bakery, _the_ Adrien who had flirted with her just the night before.

“A-Adrien, hi!” she squeaked, internally berating herself for being so awkward. “Can what I do for you? I-I mean, what can I do for you?”

“Well, I’m not really sure what I want, so I was wondering if you could give me a recommendation? I trust your judgement,” Adrien said, giving her a small smile.

_Oh God, he looks as sweet as one of our cakes,_ Marinette thought. _Wait, did I actually just think that? Get it together!_ “Oh! Um, well our macarons are always a favorite. They’re light, but tasty.”

“I’ll have a dozen of those, then,” Adrien said. Marinette nodded and hurriedly reached for a box and began placing a dozen macarons inside, praying that she didn’t mess up by accidentally knocking something over. Luckily, she avoided that fate and gave Adrien the package as he handed over the money. Their hands briefly brushed, sending a (non-literal) shock through Marinette. She tried to play off what she felt with a nervous smile, and Adrien returned it with confidence. “Thanks,” he said as he took his box of macarons from the counter. “I’ll be sure to come back to see you.”

“Anytime! Come again!” Marinette said before she processed what Adrien had said. _To see_ you, she thought. _He specifically said_ you. Adrien waved and walked out the door, leaving Marinette in a stupor for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

As soon as Adrien left the bakery, Papillon’s voice rang through his head. _You fool,_ it said. _You could have taken the earrings then and no one would have been able to stop you. Why are you taking so long?_

_You told me to be patient, and that’s what I’m doing,_ Adrien replied. _I want to wait for the perfect moment, where it’ll hurt the most. Where it’ll have the most devastating effect, so Ladybug won’t be able to fight back anymore._

After a brief pause, Adrien heard Papillon’s deep chuckle. _You’re crueller than I expected. It’s a shame we weren’t able to work together sooner, Chat Blanc._

_It truly is, but Paris will be rid of Ladybug soon enough._ Adrien rounded a corner, out of sight of the bakery, and dropped the box of macarons in the nearest trash can. He smiled darkly. _Then nothing will be able to stop me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haaaaa so remember when I said I would update in the next couple of weeks in... October...
> 
> I am so, _so_ sorry that I couldn't do that. I don't even really have a good excuse this time, other than the fact that I just sort of... forgot? I had a ton of school stuff going on and no inspiration/motivation so this was sort of set aside for like... 7 whole months. _Wow,_ that is a long time. Almost twice as much as the gap between chapters 1 and 2. I'm ashamed tbh.
> 
> Like last time though, I promise that I'm not going to stop writing this. My plan is too good (if I may say so myself) to just be dropped, and since the school year is ending soon I'm going to write more, which will include working on this! I didn't realize how much I missed writing until I started writing this again, so I'm _definitely_ gonna be writing way more, I promise you that. No more 4-7 month long update gaps for this here fic. If it seems like that might happen again though, someone, probably my editor/beta reader will remind me and/or bug me about it.
> 
> Speaking of my editor, also known as my absolute savior and a blessing upon this earth (and also my best friend), let's have some appreciation for the lovely @aeoniian on tumblr! He's edited the last two chapters and did an absolutely wonderful job of editing this third one. Nothing I write would be half as good without his help!
> 
> I don't think I have anything else to say, so I hoped everyone enjoyed chapter 3 and I can't wait for me to write and for y'all to read the next one! I have some pretty great things planned ;)


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